Sewing-machine.



L. E. TOPHAM.

SEWING MACHINE.

APPLICATION FILED JAN. 11. 1912. RENEWED MAR. 16.1915.

1,165,813. Patented Dec. 28, 1915.

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L. E. TOPHAM.

SEWING MACHINE.

APPLICATION FILED JAN. 11, 1912. RENEWED MAR. 16.1915.

13,165,817; Patented Dec. 28, 1915.

4 SHEETSSHEET 2.

jawwymm L.ELTQPHAM.

SEWING MACHINE.

APPLICATION FILED JAN. 11. 1912. RENWED MAR, 16,1915.

Llfififili Patented Dec.28,1915.

4 SHEETS-SHEET 3.

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L. E. TOPHAM.

SEWING MACHINE.

APPLICATION FILED JAN. 11. 1912. RENEWED MAR. 16,1915.

1,165,817. Patented Dec. 28, 1915.

4 SHEETS-SHEET 4. 17 a 37 0 6 62 .25

LAURENCE E. TOPHAIVI, OF BEVERLY, Mfiis ACfiUSETTs. ASSIGNOR T0 UNITED SHOE MACHINERY GGMPANY, OF PATEESON, NEW JERSEY, A COB-PORATION OF NEW JERSEY.

SEWING-IVIACHINE.

Specification of Letters Patent.

Application filed January 11,1912, Serial No. 670,628. Renewed March 16, 1915. Serial No. 14,769.

To all whom it may concern:

Be it known that I, LAURENCE E. Torrrmr, a citizen of the United States, residing at Beverly, in the county of Essex and State of Massachusetts, have invented certain new and useful Improvements in Sewinglvlachines; and I do hereby declare the following to be a full, clear, and exact description or the invention, such as will enable others skilled in the artto which it appertains to make and use the same.

This invention relates to sewing machines, and more particularly to wax thread sewing machines.

l'leretotore various forms of so-called pull-cit devices have been employee for drawing oil from the supply during each cycle of operations, a proper quantity of thread for the formation of the succeeding stitch. The most common form of such device comprises a reciprocating or oscillating arm which repeatedly engages the thread and operates to pull from the supply a measured quantity of thread during each cycle of operations. Mechanisms have been devised in which either the amplitude of stroke of the pull-oil or the position of the thread with relation thereto is automatically controlled by the position of the presser foot so that varying quantities of thread are mlled from the supply in accordance with the variations in the thickness of the work. Such pull-oiis require the use of an intermittently acting clamp between the needle and the point at which the pull-oil arm en gages the thread to prevent the thread from being withdrawn from the needle, and a strong tension between the said point and the source of supply. When a machine provided with an oscillating or reciprocating pull-oil arm is operated at high speed, the pull-oil often overthrows, causing an eXcessive amount of thread to be pulled from the supply and a consequent slaclrness in the stitches.

The object of the present invention is to produce an improved and efficient thread feeding device for wax thread se "ing inachines. by which a measured quantity of thread, varying in accordance with the thickness of the work and exactly suliicient to meet the requirements of the stitch iorm- 111g mechanism in forming the succeeding the succeeding stitch.

stitch is pulled from the supply during each cycle of operations.

With the above object in View, one feature of the invention contemplates the provision in a wax thread sewing machine of a rotary thread measuring device operating to con tinuously feed the thread, and mechanism controlled by the thickness of the work for rotating said device at varying speeds with relation to the speed of the stitch forming mechanism to deliver during each cycle of operationsthe proper quantity of thread for in the preferred form of the invention, the mechanism for rotating the thread measuring device is controlled by the position of the presser foot as determined by the thickness of the work.

Further features of the invention consist of certain constructions, arrangements and combinations of parts, advantages of which will be obvious to one skilled in the art from the following description.

in the drawings illustrating the invention in the best form at present known to the in ventor; Figure 1 is a side elevation of the head of a sewing machine embodying the invention; Fig. 2 is a front elevation of the head of the machine; Fig. 3 is a plan of the machine; Fig. lis a detail elevation partly in section illustrating particularly the mechanism for rotating the thread measuring device and the mechanism for throwing said device out of operation; Fig. 5 is a detail sectional view taken on the line 5-5 of Fig. 4; Fig. 6 is a detail sectional view taken on the line 6-6 of Fig. 5; and Fig 7 is a diagrammatic view illustrating the formation of a member forming part of the mechanism for controlling the speed of the thread measuring device.

The machine illustrated in the drawings is a wax thread lock stitch straight hook needle sewing machine of the same general type as that shown and described in applicants copending application, Serial No. 621,286, filed April 15, 1911. The construction and arrangementot the needle, awl, looper, thread arm, take-up and presser foot, and the mechanism for operating these parts is substantially the same as that illustrated in said co-pending application.

In the drawings only the upper thread controlling mechanism has been illustrated 1 tne inasmuch as this is sufficient to give a clear understanding of the invention. The avvl is indicated at 1, the looper at 2, the thread arm at 3, the presser foot at 1 and the takeup at 5.

The rotary thread feeding device for delivering the thread to the stitch forming mechanism comprises a positively rotated thread roll or wheel indicated at 6 mounted on a shaft 7, and an idler S, mounted on a stud 9, cooperating therewith. The thread wheel 6 is formed with two thread guiding flanges 10 and a. series of corrugations or teeth 11 between the flanges, with which the teeth 12 on the idler 8 intermesh and cotiperate to grip the thread, as shown in Fig. 2. The thread is led from the source of supply through the wax-pot 13 over a guide roll 1% between the thread wheel 6 and idler 8 and from thence downwardly over the thread guiding roll 15, the take-up roll 16 and a second guiding roll 17 to the loo-per. The thread is gripped between the thread roll 6 and the cofiperating idler 8 and the thread wheel 6 is positively rotated at varying speeds governed by the thickness of the work to draw off from the source of supply during each cycle of operations a quantity of thread sufficient to form the succeeding stitch.

In order to drive the thread roll at varying speeds with relation to the speed of operation of the stitch forming mechanism in the present embodiment of the invention a system of gearing mechanism illustrated particularly in Fig. 5 is employed. The said system comprises a variable speed shaft 20, journaled in the frame to the rear of the shaft 7 upon which the thread roll is mounted, and arranged in alinement with said shaft, and a member 21, journaled on the shaft 7 and rotated at a constant speed with relation to the speed of operation of the stitch forming mechanism. The thread roll shaft 7 is operatively connected with the variable speed shaft 20 and the member 21 by means of pinions 22 and 23 mounted on shafts 24 journaled in a frame 25, keyed to the thread roll shaft 7, the said pinions meshing respectively with gears 26 and 27, carried by the variable speed shaft and the said member. The gears 26, 22, 2 3 and 27 constitute a train of speed reducing gears such that if the frame 25 were held from rotation and the shaft 20 and the member 21 were free to rotate, the rotation of shaft 20 would produce a rotation of the member 21 in the same direction at a less speed. As will be apparent the ratio of the speed of the shaft 20 to the speed of the member 21 will then be equal to the speed reducing ratio of the gears 26, 22, 23 and 27. As stated above, the member 21 is rotated at a constant speed with relation to the speed of the stitch forming mechanism by suitable mechanism hereinafter described. The variable speed shaft 20 is rotated by a variable speed mechanism hereinafter detion of the said member. When the variable speed shaft 20 is rotated at a speed,- the ratio of which to the speed of the member 21 is equal tothe speed reducing ratio of gears 26, 22, 23 and 27 the frame 25 will be held from rotation and the shaft 7 to which the frame is keyed will also be held from rotation. When the variable speed shaft 20 is rotated at a speed, the ratio of which to the speed of the member 21 is less than the speed reducing ratio of the gears 26, 22, 23 and 27, the frame 25 will be rotated on its axis in the same direction as the shaft 20 and at a speed which increases as the ratio of the speed of the shaft 20 to the speed of the member 21 decreases. When the shaft 20 is rotated at a speed which is equal to the speed of the member 21, the frame 25 will be rotated on its axis at a speed which is equal to the speed of rotation of the shaft 20 and the member 21. By varying the ratio of the speed of the rotation of the variable speed shaft 20 to the speed of the member 21 between the limiting ratios which are the speed reducing ratio of the gears 26, 22, 23 and 27 and one,

the frame 25 may be rotated at any speed between the limits zero and the speed of rotation of the member 21, and the thread roll shaft 7 may be rotated at any speed between these limits.

The variable speed shaft is driven at relatively varying speeds by means of a variable speed device comprising in the construction illustrated a driven friction disk 28, journaled upon a stub shaft 29, attached to a sleeve 30, which is journale'd upon a stud 31 projecting from the frame of the machine. The hub of the friction disk 28 carries a series of worm gear teeth 32 which mesh with a second series of worm gear teeth 33, carried by the variable speed shaft 20. The friction disk 28 is driven by a cooperating friction disk 34, mounted on a shaft 35, and arranged at right angles to the shaft 29. The disk 28 isheld in yielding engagement with the disk 3-1 by means of a coil spring 36, surrounding the shaft 29 and engaging the hub of the disk 28 and lock nuts 37 on said shaft respectively. The shaft 35 upon which the friction disk 34 is mounted, is arranged for longitudinal movement to move the driving disk 3% toward and from the axis of rotation of the driven disk 28. To this end the shaft 35 is journaled at one extremity in a bearing formed in the stud 31 and at its forward extremity in a bearing 38 in the frame so that the shaft is permitted to slide longitudinally in the bearings. The shaft 35 is rotated from the main driving shaft 39 through a train of gears comp 'ising a spur gear 40, attached to the main shaft, an intermediate idle gear 41 and a third gear 42, mounted upon a rotary sleeve 43, journaled in a bearing in the frame through which sleeve the shaft 35 passes. The sleeve 43 is arranged to impart rotary movement to the shaft 35 and to this end is provided with a pair of rolls 44 arranged on transverse bearing pins, mounted in the wall of the sleeve, which rolls engage flattened surfaces 45 formed on the portion of the shaft 35 between the rolls. By this arrangement the shaft 35 is permitted to be moved readily through the sleeve and the sleeve is always in driving engagement with the shaft. The sleeve 43 is also provided with a gear 46, the teeth of which mesh with the teeth of a gear 47, carried by the member 21 and said member is thereby rotated at a constant speed with relation to the speed of the machine and of the stitch forming mechanism.

The mechanism above described for rotating the variable speed shaft 20 is so constructed and arranged that when the driving friction disk 34 is in the position represented in full lines in Fig. 5, the variable speed shaft 20 will be rotated at a speed, the ratio of which to the speed of the member 21 is equal to the speed reducing ratio of the gears 26, 22, 23 and 27, so that, as eX- plained above, when the driving friction disk 34 is in this position, the frame 25, the thread roll shaft 7, and the thread roll will be held from rotation. This is the position which the driving friction disk is caused to assume when the thickness of the work is zero or when no work is under operation. When the driving disk 34 is in the position indicated in dot and dash lines (Fig. 5) the variable speed shaft 20 will be rotated at the same speed as the member 21 and the frame will rotate at the same speed and in the same direction as the said member and the shaft 20, thereby rotating the thread roll at the same speed. This is the position which the disk 34 is caused to assume when work of maximum thickness is being sewn. By moving the driving disk 34 between the limiting positions shown in Fig. 5, the variable speed shaft 20 may be rotated at any speed, the ratio of which to the speed of the member 21 lies between the speed reducing ratio of the gears 26, 22, .23, 27 and one.

In the present embodiment of the invention the speed reducing ratio of the gears 26, 22, 23 and 27 is three to one and therefore the variable speed mechanism is constructed so as to vary the ratio of the speed of the variable speed shaft 20 to the speed of the member 21 between the limits three to one and one. The gearing mechanism is so constructed that the speed of rotation of the member 21 is one third that of the main shaft 39 and the speed of the variable speed shaft 20 when the driving disk 34 is in left hand position (Fig. 5) is the same as that of the main shaft 39. WVhen the driving disk 34 is in the position indicated in dotand dash lines (Fig. 5), the speed of the retation of the variable speed shaft 20 is one third that of the main shaft 39.

In order to control the speed of the thread roll shaft 7 by the variations in the thickness of the work, the shaft 35 is shifted longitudinally to move the driving disk 34 toward and from the axis of the driven disk 28 by mechanism connected with the presser foot 4. The said mechanism comprises a rock shaft 49, to which is attached an arm 50, provided with a head 51 which is arranged to enter a recess between flanges and 53, formed on the upper end of the presser bar 54. A second arm 55 is attached to said rock shaft and carries a roll 56 at its outer extremity which is arranged to enter a groove 57 between flanges 58 and 55) formed on a member 60, secured to the forward extremity of the shaft 35. The groove in the member is enlarged or widened at one point as shown in Fig. l, and, as indicated diagrammatically in Fig. 7, but at other points is substantially same width as the diameter of the roll 56 and the faces of the narrow portion of the groove are parallel with the plane of rotation of the member 60. Cam faces are formed on the flanges 58 and 59 between the enlarged and the narrow portions of the groove. The T rotary movement of the member 60 is timed so that the roll 56 arrives at the enlargement in the groove 57 as the presser foot is lifted to allow the work to be fed. The enlargement in the groove allows the roll 56 to move transversely of the groove during the lifting movement of the presser foot without altering the longitudinal position of the shaft 35. Immediately after the presser foot descends upon the work the roll 56 arrives at the opposite end of the enlargement 1n the groove where the faces of the groove converge. In case there has been a change in the position of the presser foot from the position. which it occupied when the roll 56 left the narrow portion of the groove, due to a variation in the thickness of the work. the roll 56 will have been moved transversely of the groove and sense quently when the roll arrives at the end of a the roll 56 causes the shaft 35 to be shifted to the right (Fig. 1) to decrease the speed of the variable speed shaft 20, thereby increasing the speed of the thread roll 6. In a similar manner when there has been a decrease in the thickness of the work, the shaft will be shifted to the left (Fig. 1) to decrease the speed of the thread roll shaft. The speed of the variable speed shaft is maintained constant by the engagement of the roll 56 with the faces of the flanges 56 and 59 until the presser foot again rises. The speed of the thread roll is thus automatically controlled to feed varying quantities of thread exactly sufficient to meet the requirements of the stitch forming mechanism in forming stitches in work of varying thicknesses.

It is to be noted that by the mechanism above described for rotating the thread roll at varying speeds, the necessary wide variation in the speed of the thread roll with relation to the speed of the stitch forming mechanism is secured and that the said mechanism is certain and reliable in operation and is so compact that it comes well within the limits set by practical requirements in macl ines of this character.

In order to throw the thread roll out of operative connection with the mechanism by which it is rotated so that the roll may be freely rotated and the thread drawn freely between said roll and the idler 8 when work is inserted in or withdrawn from the ma chine, the sleeve 30 carrying the stub shaft 29 upon which the friction disk 28 is mounted is arranged to rotate about-the stud 31 to throw the teeth 32 on the hub of said disk out of driving engagement with the teeth 33 on shaft 20. The said sleeve is provided with an arm 61 connected by a link 62 with a rocking sleeve 63, mounted on the shaft 64. The sleeve 63 is operated by manually controlled mechanism comprising a rod 65, pivotally connected with the sleeve 63 and passing through a bracket 66, secured to the frame, said rod being connected with a foot treadle not shown. A spring 67 surrounds the rod 65 and engages at its extremities a shoulder formed on the rod and the bracket 66 respectively and normally maintains the sleeve 63 in the position illustrated in Fig. 4, thereby maintaining the teeth on the hub of the friction disk 28 in engagement with the teeth, carried by the shaft 20.

When it is desired to pull the thread freely around the thread roll when work is inserted in or withdrawn from the ma- :chine,.. the treadle. connected with the rod 65 is depressed, thereby rotating the sleeve 63 to the left (Fig. 4) and through the con nections between said sleeve and the sleeve 30, rotating the sleeve 30 tothe right about the stud 31 and throwing the teeth on the hub of the friction disk 28 out of engagement with the teeth on the shaft 20. The thread roll and its shaft are then permitted to rotate freely. When the machine is about to be started into operation the treadle connected with the rod 65 is released and spring 67 then operates'to swing the sleeve 63 to the right (Fig. l) about the shaft 6%, and the sleeve 30 is moved to the left about the stud 31 to bring the teeth on the hub of the friction disk 28 into engage ment with the teeth on the shaft 20. During the operation of the machine the teeth and 33 are held in mesh by the operation of the spring 67.

The above described thread feeding device not only operates to deliver the thread as required by the stitch forming mechanism but also constitutes an efficient and reliable thread lock acting to lock the thread between the take up and the supply during the loop drawing stroke of the take up. As the take up executes its loop drawing stroke the strain upon the thread tends to straighten the thread out between the interineshing teeth of the two thread rolls 6 and 8 and this causes the teeth to bite more forcibly against the thread and hold the same from being drawn through etween the rolls. The pull of the take up on the thread also causes the loose thread wheel 8 to rotate forwardly slightly relative to the thread-wheel 6 which is controlled by the mechanism for rotating the same, this rotary movement of the thread wheel 8 rela tive to the wheel 6 causing the thread which lies between the intermeshing teeth of the two thread rolls to be gripped between the forward faces of the teeth of the thread wheel 8 and the rear faces of the teeth of the thread wheel 6.

Having explained the nature and object of the invention and having specifically de scribed'one form of mechanism in which it may be embodied, what is claimed is:

1. A wax thread sewing machine having, in combination, stitch forming mechanism, a rotary thread measuring device operating to feed the thread continuously, and mech anism controlled by the thickness of the work for rotating said device at varying speeds with relation to the speed of the stitch forming mechanism to deliver during each cycle of operations the proper quantity of thread for the succeeding stitch.

2. A wax thread sewing machine having, in combination, stitch forming mechanism,

a rotary thread measuring device operating to feed the thread continuously, a presser foot and. mechanism controlled by the presser foot for rotating said device at varying speeds with relation to the speed of the stitch forming mechanism to deliver during each cycle of operations, the proper quantity of thread for the succeeding stitch.

3. A wax thread sewing machine having,

in combination, stitch forming mechanism,

a rotary thread feeding device, a presser foot, means to rotate said device including a variable speed mechanism, and mechanism operated by the presser foot for controlling said variable speed mechanism.

4. A wax thread sewing machine having, in combination, stitch forming mechanism, a presser foot, a rotary thread feeding device, and means to rotate said device including a variable speed mechanism controlled by the thickness of the work.

5. A wax thread sewing machine having, in combination, stitch forming mechanism, a rotary thread feeding device, and variable speed mechanism comprising a differential speed device for rotating said thread feeding device at varying speeds to feed the thread at varying rates in accordance with the thickness of the work.

6. A was thread sewing machine having, in combination, stitch forming mechanism, a rotating thread feeding device, a variable speed mechanism for rotating said device comprising a friction disk, a second fricion disk movable toward and from the aXis of said first disk, a longitudinally movable shaft on which said second disk is mounted, a presscr foot and connections therefrom for moving said shaft longitudinally to move the second friction disk toward and from the axis of rotation of the first disk to vary the speed of the thread feeding device in accordance with changes in the thickness of the work.

7 A wax thread sewing machine having, in combination, stitch forming mechanism, a rotary thread feeding device, a variable speed mechanism to rotate said device comprising av friction disk, a second friction disl movable toward and from the axis of said first disk, a longitudinally movable shaft upon which said second disk is mounted, means to rotate said shaft, a presser foot, and mechanism connected with the presser foot for moving said shaft longitudinally to shift the said second disk toward and from the axis of said first disk in accordance with changes in the thickness of the work.

8. A war; thread sewing machine having, in combination, stitch forming mechanism, a rotary thread feeding roll, a shaft upon which said roll is mounted, a second shaft, a differential speed device connecting the first shaft with the second shaft, mechanism for rotating said second shaft at varying speeds, a presser foot and connections therefrom for controlling said mechanism to rotate the thread feeding roll at varying speeds in accordance with changes in the thickness of the work.

9. A wax thread sewing machine having, in combination, stitch forming mechanism, rotary thread feeding device, a var' this speed mechanism including a differential speed device for rotating said thread feeding device, a presser foot and connections therefrom for controlling said variable speed mechanism to vary the speed of the thread feeding device in accordance with changes in the thickness of the work.

10. A wax thread sewing machine having, in combination, stitch forming mechanism, a rotary thread feeding device, and variable speed mechanism for rotating said thread feeding device, said mechanism comprising a member rotating at a constant speed with relation to the stitch forming mechanism, a gear carried by said member, a shaft, a gear carried by said shaft, means for rotating said shaft at varying speeds with relation to the stitch forming mechanism, a thread roll, a shaft upon which said thread roll is mounted, a frame attached to said shaft, and planetary gears carried by said frame meshing respectively with the gears carried by said member and said first shaft.

11. A war; thread sewing machine having, in combination, a rotary thread feeding device, and variable speed mechanism for retating said device comprising a shaft upon which the thread roll is mounted, a frame attached to said shaft, a second shaft, means to rotate said second shaft at varying speeds with relation to the stitch forming mechanism, a member rotating at a constant speed with relation to the stitch forming mechanism, and planetary gears mounted on said frame and connecting said second shaft and said rotating member.

12. A wax thread sewing machine having, in combination, stitch forming mechanism, a rotary thread feeding device, a presser foot and mechanism controlled by the position of the presser foot for rotating the said device at varying speeds in accordance with changes in the thickness of the work constructed and arran ed to permit the presser foot to rise and fail respectively prior and subsequent to the feed movement of the work without varying the speed of said device.

13. A. wax thread sewing machine having, in combination, stitch forming mechanism, a rotary thread feeding device, a variable speed mechanism for rotating said d vice at varying speeds comprising a rotatable shaft arranged for longitudinal movement to control the speed. of said device, a presser foot and mechanism controlled by the position of the presser foot for moving said shaft longitudinally to vary the speed of said device in accordance with changes in the thickness of the work constructed and arranged to permit the presser foot to rise and fall respectively prior and subsequent to the feed movement of the work without altering the position of said shaft.

14. A wax thread sewing machine having, in combination, stitch forming mechanism, a rotary thread feeding device, a variable speed mechanism for rotating said device at varying speeds comprising a rotatable shaft arranged for longitudinal movement to control the speed of said device, a presser foot and means controlled by the position of the prsser foot for mov- 'ing said shaft longitudinally to vary the speed of said device in accordance with the changes in the thickness of the work, comprising a member mounted on said shaft to rotate therewith having converging cam faces formed thereon, means arranged adjacent the paths of rotation of the cam faces of said member and mechanism connected with the presser foot for moving said last means into the path of rotation of one of said cam faces upon a change in the thickness of the work.

15. A wax thread sewing machine having, in combination, stitch forming mechanism, a rotary thread feeding device, a variable speed mechanism for rotating said device at varying speeds comprising a rotatable shaft arranged for longitudinal move ment to control the speed of said device and means controlled by the position of the presser foot for moving said shaft longitudinally to vary/the speed of said device in accordance with changes in the thickness of the work comprising a member mounted on said shaft to rotate therewith having a groove arranged parallel with the plane of rotation of said member and formed with an enlargement at a definite point therein and with converging cam faces between the Copies of this patent may be obtained for five cents each, by addressing the Gommissio Washington, D. 0.

enlargement and the narrow portion thereof, a member arranged to operate in said groove and mechanism connected with the presser foot for moving the lastmember transversely of the groove in the enlargement thereof upon a change in the thickness of the work.

16. A wax thread sewing machine, having, in combination, stitch forming mechanism, a thread feeding device comprising a pair of rolls having intermeshing teeth adapted to grip the thread as it passes between the rolls, and means for positively rotating one of the rolls.

17. A wax thread sewing machine, having, in combinatiom'stitch forming mechanism, a thread feeding device comprising a roll provided with a series of peripheral teeth, a loosely mountedroll provided with a series of peripheral teeth meshing with the teeth of the first roll and cooperating with the teethof the first roll to grip the thread as it passes between the rolls, and means for positively rotating the first roll.

18. A wax thread sewing machine, having, in combination, stitch forming devices, a thread feeding device comprising a roll having a series of peripheral teeth, a second roll, provided with a series of peripheral teeth meshing with the teeth of the first roll and cooperating with the teeth of the first roll to grip the thread as it passes between the rolls, means for positively rotating the first roll and means for support ing the second roll for movement relative to the first roll under a strain on the thread to clamp the thread.

LAURENCE E. TOPHAM.

\Vitnesses:

Cnnsrnn E. ROGERS, LAURA M. Goonmncn.

nor of Patents, 

